Captivation

33: Cowardice

Hi guys! I'm not sure where to end off the story. It's not over yet, it's not even close, but do you want me to go through everything (i.e. him meeting her family, their (maybe) wedding, an epiloge, etc) or do you want me to end it without all of that. I won't want to over write this and bore you all to death. Let me know if you have an opinion! Happy reading!

Cowardice (noun): lack of bravery

“What?” I ask, reaching down and gripping the sides of the crate with my hands. I almost ask if he’s joking, but he’s on his knee in front of me. Henry just asked me to marry him, and he’s dead serious.

“I’m trying to prove it, Madelyn.” He tells me.

I could never see Henry wanting this. Could I ever see me wanting this? “Prove what?” I ask, just because I can’t fathom the situation at present.

“Prove that you can trust me, that I’m serious…that…that I love you more than anything, more than everything.” He tells me.

I stare at him stupidly. All I can think of is how Peter told me that Henry wanted everything. Maybe I’m not everything, like Peter thought, maybe Henry just decided that everything wasn’t worth it, that I was worth it.

“I’m expecting you to say it back if that worries you.” Henry says, interrupting my thoughts.

“You have to meet my family.” I tell him.

“I would gladly do that for you.” He tells me.

“My father will hate you.” I tell him.

“I’m not at all deterred.” Henry says.

“What if they don’t give their consent?” I ask.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” Henry says.

I look down at him. “I need to go for a walk.”

“What do you want, Madelyn?” Henry asks me as I walk away from him. I pause and clench my hands in and out of fists.

“Do either of us really know what we want?” I turn and ask him. He smiles now, a little sheepish.

“I guess not.” He says. I’m about to take my first step off the ship when he speaks again. “You know, it’s kind of dark here, and maybe, you might just want company?”

I purse my lips and I’m glad that he can’t see my face. I roll my eyes up to the moon that I was alone with only minutes ago. “I’m alright, thank you.” I tell him.

He sounds deflated. “Oh, alright…I’ll see you tomorrow then?” He asks.

“See you tomorrow.” I tell him.

But I have no intentions of seeing him tomorrow. He’s made the same mistake as Andrew. Trying to make me stay with one of the only things that will guarantee my flight.

***

I am trying to find a way out of this town, but it’s massive, and I think the next town over would be too far away for me to walk in a night. And I need to be out of sight by tomorrow. Also, I need to be out of sight now, because the more people who see me leaving the worse. They could tell Henry where I went. Although I doubt that he’ll come looking for me, because he’s not the type who would force me to come with him.

But he will come with me if he thinks that I went walking and got lost, or if he thinks something bad happened to me. I think that he might feel that way for a couple of days, but if I go without being found for a while, I know he’ll understand what happened. And then he’ll leave.